


The Shield

by Vanamiya



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Crests and Relics, Developing Friendship, Felix is an unwilling participant, Gen, Linhardt gets yet again closer to solving the plot, Lore Exploration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29291118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanamiya/pseuds/Vanamiya
Summary: Linhardt and Felix had only recently become classmates. Felix had not known much about the Adrestian noble beforehand, nor had he been interested to find out more. Yet even he noticed a few patterns with him, the constant naps and a weird fixation with crests were hard to overlook.If there was one thing Felix was sure of, it was that he didn’t want to be near Linhardt, much less talk to him.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Linhardt von Hevring
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	The Shield

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a sort of joking prompt by a friend who wanted to see some Linhardt & Felix interaction. I took this chance to delve a little into FE3H lore and and write about some things I have been thinking and speculating about.

“Ah, Felix! There you are. Not that it was hard to find you.”

As always when Felix was training, someone was there to interrupt him. It was getting ridiculous, either someone kept watching him from the shadows until he couldn’t take it anymore or someone barged into the training grounds, shouting his name as if whatever they had to say was actually important, just like right now. As he turned to confront the annoyance, he was however taken aback at who it was that had decided to bother him this time.

“What do you want? Shouldn’t you be somewhere napping?”

Linhardt stared at him. He took a moment before he responded, making a thoughtful face with his chin resting on his hand.

“Hm, no. It’s actually one of my active days today, but thank you for your concern.”

Linhardt and Felix had only recently become classmates. Felix had not known much about the Adrestian noble beforehand, nor had he been interested to find out more. Yet even he noticed a few patterns with him, the constant naps and a weird fixation with crests were hard to overlook.

If there was one thing Felix was sure of, it was that he didn’t want to be near Linhardt, much less talk to him.

Putting his training sword away for now, Felix crossed his arms. That was all the prompting Linhardt needed to keep talking.

“I will make it quick. I heard you recently came into possession of the Aegis Shield. As a hero’s relic, it is perhaps one of the less interesting ones because, unlike weapon such as Thunderbrand, it won’t let you gain a special power while attacking an enemy. It is said to protect its bearer better than any other shield can however. And it is the only relic of its kind. I would like to find out why that is. Perhaps there is even some undiscovered benefit to it that other relics do not have? I must find out. So, let me study it.”

“No. Go away.”

Urgh, only listening to Linhardt had been a pain. If Felix had known it would be something as irrelevant as this, he would not have bothered to stop swinging his sword.

“All you need to do is give me the shield and I will conduct some experiments while you can continue with your training. I don’t see how that could be disagreeable in any way.”

“Really? Do you also give your family heirlooms to the next best fool who asks?” Not that Felix was particularly attached to it. Receiving it had felt more like an insult than anything else because it had been professor Byleth, not his father, who had given it to him. His father hadn’t even deemed him worthy of it and had instead given it to his teacher. Even so, he was not about to give it to just anyone. It was a matter of principle.

“If it was in the name of science, I don’t see why not. If you want to make sure that I don’t do anything questionable with it, I could conduct my experiments right here at the training grounds. In fact, it might be more beneficial because you could help me. All you need to do is hold the shield and deflect my attacks. Then again, that could become rather tiresome, so maybe I hold the shield and you attack it.”

“You really like to listen to yourself talk, don’t you? I already said no. Now stop bothering me.” He had heard more than enough. Taking his sword once more, Felix resumed his training.

Despite his obvious dismissal, Linhardt had somehow still not left. He watched Felix for a bit and then sighed.

“Fine, I suppose if you are going to be stubborn we will continue this conversation another time. I have one last question and then I will leave you be. Are you planning on taking the shield with you into battle?”

That was a good question. One that Felix had been thinking about as well, without coming to a definitive conclusion. Part of him wanted to throw the shield into the farthest corner of his room and never look at it again. It shouldn’t have been his to begin with. But he did feel… something when he held it. It was almost as if it was calling to him. It had power. Though he imagined this power differed from that of other relics, the relics that were weapons. He would have preferred a weapon.

He didn’t stop swinging his sword while he answered, the repeated motion clearing his mind of his conflicted thoughts. “I might. But it’s heavy so it will slow me down. I would have to test what benefits me more.”

“I see. That’s all I needed to know then. See you.”

And with that, Linhardt finally left, hopefully to never return.  
  


* * *

  
Now that Linhardt knew that Felix was unwilling to give him the Aegis Shield but was considering to use it in battle, the next step was clear to him.

All it took was talking to professor Byleth about their formations in battle and convincing her to put him near Felix so he could offer assistance. He would rather not fight at all, though he knew that wasn’t an option. Being able to observe the newest object of his interest at the very least made it a little more worthwhile.

Or so Linhardt had thought.

When they actually were out, fighting against a group of bandits, Linhardt soon found the fatal flaw in his plan. A flaw that shone in a deeply nauseating red.

Blood. So. Much. Blood.

It clung to Felix’ blade and armor, it welled up from within deep cuts inflicted on their enemies, it dripped to the ground creating a scarlet trail that everyone who sought the swordsman out could follow.

Linhardt would honestly much rather walk in the other direction right now but this was a bed he had made himself and now he had no choice but to lie in it.

The worst moment however was when Felix got injured. He had dashed away suddenly towards a group of bandits, cutting down one of them with ease. The others then swarmed him and wore him down until he was left with a big gash in his side.

When Linhardt arrived by Felix’ side, he had already taken care of all the bandits but was kneeling amidst the corpses, pressing a hand to his side and drawing deep but shaky breaths. His fingers were already drenched in blood and Linhardt had to avert his gaze while stepped closer and let the magic flow from his hand into Felix’ body.

“What are you doing?” Despite bleeding out on the field, Felix still had the strength to be a grouch.

“You’re bleeding. If I look at you for a moment longer I will have an unplanned reunion with my breakfast.”

“Hmp. What kind of healer can’t bear the sight of blood? If you’re too squeamish to heal, fight.”

Linhardt still didn’t dare to look into Felix’ direction so instead he frowned at the grass beneath them. “If I had a choice in the matter I would do neither.”

“Then why are you even here?”

“Because you would be bleeding out if I wasn’t.” Really, what kind of question was that? He was here because he couldn’t not take part in battle. But it did remind him of something and now that Felix had to wait for the healing spell to be done, it was the perfect opportunity to tell him.

“You know Felix, you’re a lot more reckless on the battlefield than I thought you would be. You love to scold others for their rash decisions in battle yet you show the very same behavior. During training your movements are much more calculated. What changes?”

There was a moment of silence and Linhardt would be temped to look at Felix again though he knew that the blood was still very much there.

“There was an archer that targeted Ingrid. She didn’t seem to notice. If that archer had gotten to her, that would have been it.”

It was as if Felix had, unknowingly, handed Linhardt a clue. He wasn’t quite sure in what direction the clue would lead him yet, the things he wanted to study regarding the Aegis Shield were still in their early development stage. He wanted to find out what made it special, if there even was something special about it, but he had no idea from what angle to look at it.

Perhaps Felix himself was crucial to this. Felix, his crest, and his strong desire to protect others.

“Say, do you do that often?”

“Do what? Protect my comrades in battle? What an asinine question. Perhaps you should ask yourself why you aren’t thinking of the safety of others more.”

Linhardt wanted to argue but he had already mentioned that he was healing Felix right now, despite his weakness to blood. He wouldn’t be doing that if he didn’t care. However, repeating himself was too much work so he let it slide.

“Anyway. I believe the Aegis Shield would actually benefit you a lot. You rely on dodging too much. You’re very fast so it works most of the time but when you’re surrounded, dodging one attack will only give someone else the opportunity to stab you in the back. Much like what happened just now. If you do some heavy armor training to increase your endurance, the shield’s weight will pose less of an obstacle.”

“Hmp.” That was the only thing Felix had to say. The spell had run its course and he was back on his feet before Linhardt had even turned his head towards him again. With only a brisk word of thanks, Felix ran off and was back in the throes of battle. Though by now, they only needed to round up some stragglers.

Linhardt sighed, hoping that Felix would give his advice at least some thought. It wasn’t that he was only suggesting it for his own benefit. While it was true that he wanted to see the shield in action, watching Felix fight had made him genuinely want to give him some pointers. It would at least reduce the amount of times he would have to heal him.  
  


* * *

  
It was easy to spot Felix in a room. He was always doing his best to sit by himself with varying degrees of success. Sometimes the dining hall was too full and sometimes, either professor Byleth or one of his friends decided to sit with him. Either way, Linhardt only had to scan the farthest tables to find the lone swordsman. This time Felix had even managed to find a quiet little spot all to himself. Well, for now, because Linhardt was already on his way there.

“Hello Felix, did you think about what I told you in our last battle?” he asked as he sat down across the table. Felix brows drew together in annoyance, perhaps even irritation. He only looked up from his food for a moment so he could glare at Linhardt.

“Must you even pester me during lunch now? What’s next, knocking on my door in the middle of the night while I’m trying to sleep?”

“Oh we won’t need to go that far if you just answer my question now. By the way, I must thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me an idea on what I would like to study next. When I first asked you for the shield I wasn’t quite sure what it was that I wanted to find out but now I have clear idea in mind.“

Felix was silent. He had gone back to his food, perhaps an attempt to ignore Linhardt. That served him just as well. That way he wouldn’t have to feel bad that he was rambling more to himself than anyone else.

“Crest bearers are said to have a certain connection to the original wielders of said crest. I do believe that to some extent, my own research on the topic has yielded similar results. However, since I enrolled at the academy, I had the chance to talk to and study several crest bearers whose crests stem from the Ten Elites. And my findings with them challenge this theory.”

Felix was still eating and ignoring him. At least, he was attempting to do so. It was clear he was straining to stay silent. Linhardt noticed that he was eating spicy fish and turnip stew, the aroma wafting all the way to where he was sitting. Linhardt had only tried it once and it had drained the life from him quicker than any poison could. The burn of a thousand flames had accumulated in his mouth and he had tried in vain to wash it away by drinking an excessive amount of water. The worst part by far however had been that Caspar had laughed at him the whole time.

Felix on the other hand didn’t seem bothered at all by the heat of the spices, on the contrary.

“Right now it’s just a hypothesis but it seems to me like the crests of the Ten Elite are less bound to the Ten Elites themselves but rather to… the relics. Which is strange. Now, my means to procure useful data for this theory have their limits but you… you could help me. Not only are you in possession of a relic, you have a major crest. If anyone could draw out the full power of their relic – aside from Catherine of course – it would be you.”

“And what makes you think I want to help you?” It was the first thing Felix had said in a while and he sounded like he was about to draw his sword in the middle of the dining hall. Linhardt had said before that he was willing to die for his research but that wasn’t the kind of death he had envisioned. At the very least, Felix could have brought the shield with him to make it interesting.

“Isn’t new knowledge its own reward? You could very well be part of one of my biggest discoveries yet. If I can prove that the crests of the Ten Elites stem from the relics rather than the gift of the goddess… just what would that mean? It would shake the very foundations of what we know about crests. And the fact that you are not bound by a weapon but instead wield a shield might be the puzzle piece I need to get there. Of course, you would have to let me study you and use the shield. Also, if you happen to have a more detailed record of your ancestry than what we have in the library, that would help. I bet the Fraldarius bloodline has a very meticulous record. I would love to get my hands on it. I even believe that my findings will tie into the role of the Fraldarius line as the Shield of Faer-”

There was a loud bang that echoed around the dining hall, killing any other noise in its wake as students stopped talking and eating and instead looked towards the source of the sound.

Felix had slammed his fists on the table so hard they left small indentations in the wood. “Shut. Up. Shut up about crests! Shut up about relics! And **shut up** about my damned bloodline!”

He stood up. If before he had been slightly annoyed, he was truly furious now. Had Linhardt hit a sore spot? That hadn’t been his intention. And yet it seemed like that was what had happened just now.

“I tolerated your nonsense but I’ve had enough. I’m leaving, I lost my appetite. If you ever so much as approach me with this topic again, I will sharpen my sword on your skull.”

And then Felix was gone. Without even carrying his used dishes back. The half eaten stew still smelled faintly of various spices. A low murmur returned to dining hall, giving it a familiar atmosphere once again.

Linhardt sat there in silence for a moment, staring at the door through which Felix had vanished. His own food was already getting cold as well. He sighed. Perhaps he really had overdone it with his enthusiasm this time. He would have to find someone else for his experiments.  
  


* * *

  
By now Linhardt had given up on being on good terms with Felix ever again.

Which was why it was so surprising when, a few weeks later, it was Felix who approached him while he was sitting in the shade of his favorite tree at the monastery, about to take a nap.

“Are you asleep?”

“Good question. I must be sleeping though. There is no other way to explain you approaching me, even though you had made it abundantly clear that you don’t want me to ever speak to you again.”

“The advice you gave me on the battlefield. It turns out that it wasn’t a waste of my time. The heavy armor training was useful and the shield no longer slows me down.”

“Of course it wasn’t a waste. I only give good advice. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Felix scoffed and crossed his arms as he looked down at Linhardt. He didn’t leave yet however so it wasn’t hard to guess that there had to be more to this conversation.

“I heard from a few sources that you are rather perceptive and give good advice on battle techniques. I want you to do something for me. During my next sparring match with our professor, watch us. Then tell me what I need to improve on in order to beat her.”

“Urgh, I have to watch you fight and then give advice? That sounds like a chore. Especially because you’re so fast that it’s hard to follow.” This wasn’t the first time someone had pestered him about this. Why always him? Because he tended to comment on what he saw? That was no reason to make him play the role of instructor.

“I’m not demanding that you do this for me for free. I’m offering a deal. You watch me and the professor fight. In turn I will let you, as you call it, study me. In moderation. As long as you don’t tell me about your results. I still don’t care about crests or relics, including mine.”

Now that managed to drain the sleepiness right out of him. Had he just heard right? He shot Felix a surprised look before getting up on his feet. “Really? That’s a surprise! I’m not used to getting something in return for my help. It’s... strangely motivating, actually. When do we start?”  
  


* * *

  
“When you hold the shield, how do you feel?”

Felix glared at the shield in question as it it was poisoning his arm. “There is some kind of… energy pouring out of it. It envelops me completely and it feels like my skin has become tougher. At the same time, it seems to be draining energy from me. Not because of its weight, it’s something else. What a creepy thing.”

“Fascinating! When I held the shield, nothing happened. That means even a relic like the Aegis Shield is choosy about its wielder. And if what you say is true and the shield protects your entire body somehow, it makes sense why it is praised as the best shield in existence. A shield that shields from all sides.”

“Are we done now? I want to test whether your advice from earlier is actually worth a damn. If it turns out you don’t know what you’re talking about after all, our deal is off.”

Ah yes, typical Felix. Always so impatient. Not that Linhardt didn’t understand on some level. When he was about to test one of his theories, he also could barely wait. But there were a few things he still needed to know.

“Just a few more questions and then we’re done. Your father. He is a holy knight, is he not?”

Felix’ eyes narrowed immediately when his father was mentioned. He looked like he was about to snap at Linhardt but held his tongue. “Yes, he is.”

“And you used to have an older brother, did you not? What weapon did he use?”

“He was proficient in a variety of weapons. He was good with a sword but he was best with the lance.”

“And you? Do you ever use lances?”

“No. They’re not my style. Fighting with them is awkward, I have no idea how others can stand it.”

Linhardt nodded as the gears in his head started to turn. It was hard to keep himself from rambling about his current thoughts but a deal was a deal and he didn’t want to lose Felix as a test subject for the second time. What mattered was that he was gathering clues and they pointed him in the exact direction he had anticipated.

“Alright then. That’s it for today. Next time, let me watch the shield in action.”

“That still depends on whether you kept your part of the bargain.”

Linhardt smiled. “I already told you, I only give good advice. And now I’m going to take a nap.”  
  


* * *

  
When Felix and Linhardt met again for the first time since the start of the war, five whole years after their academy days, it was hard to tell how much they had changed.

Of course neither of them was still wearing their uniform and while Felix had trimmed his hair to a more manageable length, Linhardt looked like he had avoided scissors entirely for the past few years.

Felix knew that he had changed. He was no longer an ignorant teenager and he had honed his skill to a level that finally felt like he was really getting somewhere. Whether Linhardt had changed or not he couldn’t say, not until he sought him out weeks later. Neither of them were known to make small talk so they hadn’t really spoken until now. Felix found Linhardt sitting under the same tree he had seemed to favor five years prior. It was nostalgic, in a way.

“Still as lazy as ever, I see.”

“Not lazy, just tired.”

“Tired of what?”

“Everything, lately. The war, the constant fighting, the lack of sleep. Take your pick.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.”

“I would like to believe that I have. Having to fight a war will do that to you. You changed. You used to look like you were constantly biting into a lemon. Now the look on your face is a little more mature. And calmer. Still pretty cold though.”

“If you insist on making fun of me, I’ll leave. I actually came here to thank you.” Felix placed a hand on his hip and Linhardt looked up at him, perplexed. Served him right.

“Thank me? For what?”

“I recently scored a win against our professor. That was, in part, thanks to the advice you gave me. The rest was me tweaking your tactic to suit my own style better.”

“You’re welcome. Though granted, I did have quite the motivation to help you. Your assistance in my research gave me exactly the data I needed to unravel a few mysteries about crests. Ah, sorry, I forgot you don’t want me to talk about it.”

Felix wasn’t the type to sit under a tree and nap the day away or even rest for too long. However, he could probably make an exception this one time. He took a seat next to Linhardt in the shade but refused to look at him. Instead, his eyes were drawn to the slivers of sky and sunlight filtering through the leaves above their heads.

“Tell me about your findings.”

“You really did change, huh?”

“Don’t misunderstand. My opinion on crests is unchanged. But I do want to know if those stupid tests you made me go through were worth it in the end.”

“Quite so I’d say! You actually confirmed my theory. The one about crest bearers being bound to the relics rather than the Ten Elites. The clues lie in the fact that the Fraldarius line has brought forth many fighters of different talents. Fraldarius herself was a Falcon Knight and it is said that she highly favored lances. If it were true that crests bind you to those who had them originally, that would mean that the Fraldarius line consists of lance users, just like Fraldarius. But it doesn’t. You don’t enjoy using lances, you use a sword just like Kyphon did. According to the ancestry record the Fraldarius line also brought forth famous archers, brawlers and even reason magic users. Fraldarius isn’t what binds you all together. It’s something else.”

Oh no. He had a hunch about where this was going if the things Linhardt had said in the past were any indicator. “Are you about to tell me that my desire to keep the people I care about safe somehow comes from a magic shield that wasn’t even supposed to be mine in the first place?”

“Not quite but something like that.”

“What a load of crap. Everyone wants that. It has nothing to do with a crest.” Felix really was just wasting time here, wasn’t he? He didn’t even quite know why he was indulging Linhardt’s wild conjectures. Perhaps it had less to do with the conjectures themselves and more with Linhardt’s presence. After their rocky start, the two of them had come something akin to an understanding. Once Linhardt had known Felix’ boundaries, he had respected them and they had worked somewhat well together. To describe it in one word, they had been efficient. Felix had appreciated it.

“You didn’t even let me finish my explanation. Do try to listen before you jump to conclusions. What I’m actually trying to say here is: you have more in common with the Aegis Shield than with its original owner. Your connection to the Aegis Shield is not the source of your desire to protect but it is making you particularly gifted at it. The reason for that is your desire to survive. A shield that breaks after one use is not a good shield at all. It is the shield that endures that truly shines. Likewise, a person blindly throwing themselves between an attacker and a target will die. You don’t do that. You protect by attacking. And that is why you’re still here.”

Felix took a deep breath. Those words had stirred something within him. Glenn had protected someone and had paid with his life. Was Linhardt telling him that he was, in that regard, better than his brother? If so, it wasn’t a compliment he wanted. It felt wrong, even if catching up to his brother had always been his goal. “I still fail to see how that is connected to crests or relics. It’s simply who I am.”

“If you were the only one, I would agree. But there is a very clear pattern to it. Every historical source I scoured that wrote about previous crest bearers in the Fraldarius line paints a similar picture. And it’s not just Fraldarius, either. Blaiddyd, Gautier, Charon, Riegan and every other Ten Elites crest I could find records of follows a certain pattern. You weren’t the only classmate I studied. All of the former students in our year perfectly fit into the pattern of their crests and the corresponding relics. Even someone like Lysithea. She is a prodigy when it comes to magic and yet she shows a natural affinity for swords as well. The reason for that being Thunderbrand. Even though she never wielded it, her crest gave her the ability to do so and a talent for it as well, should the day ever arrive. It’s almost as if relics want to be wielded. They want to be held by those who bear their crest. I know it sounds absurd but that is the conclusion I came to.”

Strangely enough, Linhardt’s words started to make sense. Felix wasn’t interested in this topic at all but when Linhardt mentioned that relics wanted to be wielded, it was as if a fundamental truth had revealed itself to him. So fundamental that he could feel his own pulse while he turned his head towards Linhardt to finally look him in the eye.

“You might be right. I have been using the Aegis Shield for years now. Sometimes, it almost feels like it wants to attach itself to my arm. Whenever I plan to leave it behind because I think I won’t need it, I end up reconsidering. Is that what you mean?”

Linhardt’s eyes widened. “Truly? Yes, that’s exactly it! It sounds like there is still much more to learn about relics. Say… care to help me out again? Like old times?”

Of course. He should have known that Linhardt would say that. He wasn’t completely opposed to it, even if it had been a pain. But he wouldn’t do it for free. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. My training comes first.” Thankfully it seemed like Linhardt understood what he meant by that. He smiled.

“Alright, I will meet you at the training grounds. Let’s see how I can help you improve even further.”

Linhardt and Felix had completely different aspirations in life. It was unlikely that they would ever see one another again after the war. But for now, it wasn’t so bad to have someone you could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement with, even if your goals differed greatly.

And, perhaps, Felix wouldn’t mind knowing just a little more about the shield, if only to be more aware of its influence.

**Author's Note:**

> I must say, as much as I liked writing about crests and relics and all that, I also had a lot of fun writing the interactions between Felix and Linhardt and having them slowly going from not getting along at all to having a mutually beneficial companionship.
> 
> Also, I will forever be disappointed about how anticlimatic getting the Aegis Shield in game is. So I just imagined it as Rodrigue giving it to Byleth and Byleth handing it over to Felix who would then be an absulute saltmine about it.


End file.
